Trolley wire section switch



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TROLLEY WIRE SECTION SWITCH Filed Nov. 17, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 27, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT GFFICE TROLLEY WIRE SECTION SWITCH Albert H. Genter, Mount Lebanon, Pa.

Application November 17, 1950, Serial No. 196,233

Where, as in a mine, the electrical current supplied from the feed wires to the section trolley wires is controlled by section switches, the interengaging elements, such as the hinged knife blade and the slotted jaw blocks of the switch must be maintained in proper relative position and accurate alignment to readily engage and disengage as the switch is closed or opened, inasmuch as any misalignment would prevent the successful operation of the switch. It is also important that the trolley wires be secured to the switch in such manner that they may be attached to the switch structure and detached therefrom Without disturbing the connection of the feed wires to the switch.

Again the switch must be constructed so that it may be arranged for use either as a righthand switch or a left-hand switch, as occasion demands.

Also the switch must be so constructed that when the switch is arranged to conduct current therethrough, there will be no leakage of electric current.

The type of section switches now in general use are not designed to solve the difficulties, and therefore fail to properly serve the requirements when operating under a heavy current flow.

My improved trolley wire section switch, hereinafter described, meets the requirements of a successful switch. When the switch is closed for the passage of current the knife blade of the switch connects in circuit with electric conductive material the point of attachment of the feed wires andthe depending jaw plates which grip the trolley wire, so that no loss or leakage of current occurs. Again the trolley wires may be secured to and disconnected from the switch without disturbing the connections of the feed wires, and vice versa, the feed wires may be disconnected from the switch without disturbing the trolley wires.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a practical embodiment of the principles of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of the section switch;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views taken along the lines 3-3 and 4 4 in Fig. l, respectively.

Referring in detail to the drawings, I0 indicates a plate, preferably of rectangular elongated shape and formed of suitable insulating material such as a dielectric plastic. A metal bar H of angular cross-sectional shape is secured to the top edge of the insulator plate I0,

2 Claims. (Cl. lill- 39) 2 as by means of bolts l2, which extend through holes in the depending ange of the angle bar and registering bolt holes in the insulator plate ill adjacent the top edge of the latter. The ends of the angle bar Il extend beyond the ends f the insulator plate Il) and are provided with holes I3 through which expansion bolts may be extended and tightened in holes in the mine roof to support the switch therefrom, or through which screw bolts may be extended to secure the switch to an overhead timber support.

rlhree pairs of jaw members are mounted on and depend from the insulator plate lil at spaced intervals, each pair comprising plates I4 and i5 formed of conductive material, such as bronze. The jaw members i4 iit flat against the vertical side surface of the insulator plate It and eX- tend below the latter, while the members l5 are arc-shaped, being curved longitudinally or other- Wise formed so that their upper ends contact the side of the plate Hl opposite to the members M, but the said plates l5 are otherwise out of contact with the said insulator plate. The lower extremities of the jaw members l5 and I5 are provided with inwardly facing trough-like grooves Il which grasp the trolley wire sections from either side of the latter and clamp the same securely to the switch structure.

The pairs of jaw members I-IS are secured to the opposite Sides of the insulator plate IU by means of bolts I6 which are formed of conductive material, such as steel or bronze, and which are later described in more detail. These bolts extend through holes in the upper portions f of the pairs of jaw members and through registering holes in the insulator plate Iii.

The jaw members i4 of the pair of members adjacent one of the ends of the insulator plate l is provided with an integral outwardly extending boss i8 which is slotted horizontally to provide parallel slots i9. The corresponding jaw member ld of the pair of jaw members intermediate the bar Il is likewise formed with a similar boss 2&3 provided with like parallel slots 2l, while the jaw member I4 of the pair adjacent the other end of the bar l I is provided with a similar boss 22 formed with similar slots 23. The bosses i8 and 22, adjacent the two ends of the bar Il, are punched with registering holes through their blades which are formed by the slots to provide for a pivotal connection for the double knife blade switch lever 24 which can thus be hinged by a bolt 25 at a point adjacent either end of the insulator plate to provide either a right-hand switch or a left-hand switch,

as may be suitable for the particular installation. The parallel blades of the remaining jaw members i4 are thus engaged when the switch is swung into its closed position with its blades engaged in the slots of the bosses, thus electrically connecting the bosses I8, 20 and 22. The double knife blade switch blade 24 is also formed of conductive material.

The corresponding members I of the end pairs of jaw plates Ill-I5 are provided on their outer surfaces with tubular sleeves 25 er other means in which the ends of the spaced sections 21 of the feed wire may be secured, as by the set screws 28. Thus the jaw members Ill-I5, adjacent the opposite ends of the insulator plate lll, are maintained in electrical conductivity with the feed wire sections 21, and when the switch lever 2K1 is in its closed position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, electric current is supplied to all three pairs of jaw members IIL-I5. The switch lever 2Q is provided with an insulating handle 29.

3d indicates the interrupted and spaced apart ends of the trolley wire sections which are grasped and firmly held by the jaw members M l adjacent the ends of the insulator plate I il and a short intermediate section 3l of trolley wire is grasped by the central pair of jaw memn bers, said intermediate section being short enough to provide insulating gaps between its ends and the section 36 and to prevent the direct flow of current therethrough when the switch is open. The intermediate section 3| prevents the trolley wheel from jumping from the wire as the car passes beneath the section switch.

The bolts I6, which are threaded at both ends, are employed to secure the pairs of jaw members Illl5 to the insulator plate I0, said bolts being of steel or other suitable conductive material and are arranged to extend through the registering holes 32 in the insulator plate Ill and the jaw members Iii-I5.

The end portions of the holes 32 in the insulator plate I0, adjacent the face of said plate at which the jaw members I5 are to be mounted, are provided With countersunk, preferably conical, seats or enlargements 33, and the bolts i6 intermediate of their extremities, are provided with corresponding enlargements 34 shaped to it said seats 33. Thus in assembling the switch at the factory or shop, the bolts are inserted from the right in Fig. 4 with the enlargements 3L?. seated in the seats 33. The jaw members i4 are then placed in position with the left-hand extremity of the bolts protruding outwardly through the jaw member. The washers 35 are then slipped on the extremities of the bolts against the jaw plate and the nuts 36 are applied to the bolt end and tightened to clamp the jaw plates I l Xedly to the insulator plate Ill. The switch is then ready for installation, being rst secured to the mine roof or overhead support by means of expansion or other bolts extending upward through the holes I3 in the ends of the angle bar l I into the roof or overhead structure. The feed wire end portions 21 are then inserted in the sleeves 2E and the set screws 28 are tightened against the same.

The end portions of the trolley wire sections St are then placed in grooves I1 in the jaw members Ill of the end pairs of jaw members Ill-I5 and the intermediate section 3| of the trolley wire is placed in the groove I1 of the plate It of the central pair of plates I ll-IE, the corresponding jaw members I5 are then mounted on the right-hand end of the bolts I6 in Fig. 4, and

the washers 35 and the nuts 36a are mounted on the bolts and screwed up against the jaw members I 5, causing the members I5 to swing on their upper extremities where they engage the side of the insulator plate, thus moving the lower end portions of the members, which are provided with the groove I1, to engage the trolley wire sections already correspondingly engaged by the lower end of the corresponding members lll,

When the trolley wire sections are to be released from the switch, all that is necessary is to loosen the nuts 36a, causing the members l5 to be relieved from pressure so that they may be backed off suliciently to release the trolley wire sections.

The intermediate trolley wire section 3l is a dead section which is intended to prevent the accidental flow of current from the hot end of the switch, when the switch handle is in its oi position, to the cold end of the switch, which might occur in case the current collector, when the switch is in its on position, halts in place to bridge the spaced ends of the trolley wire sections. By the provision or" the dead trolley wire section, which is of suicient length that the collector is unable to bridge the ends of the two sections 3i), but will engage either one of the sections 3S and the intermediate dead section 3l, such an accident is prevented.

When the trolley wire sections are to be disconnected the bolts 36a are backed oil to release the trolley wire sections from the pairs of jaw plates. The ends of the feed wire 21 are then released from the tubular sleeves 2li. The bolts securing the plate I0 to the mine roof or structure are then withdrawn and the section switch as a unit may then be removed for repairs or replacements.

The jaw members I4-I5 are formed as is the switch lever 24 of electrically conductive material, such as bronze, so that there will be no obstruction in the flow of current from the feed line sections to the trolley wire sections when thewswitch is closed for the conduction of current, thus providing a direct connection of conductive material between the feed wires and the trolley Wires.

I claim:

l. A trolley Wire section switch comprising elongated plate of dielectric material, a hanger independently secured to said plate for suspeni' ing it from an overhead support, three spaced pairs of coacting jaw members for gripping ially aligned and spaced apart sections of trolley wire, the upper portion of each jaw member oi a pair being on opposite sides of said plate, one jaw member of each pair having only its upper edge engaging said plate, the lower edge of each jaw member having a grip to engage one side of a trolley wire remote from the collector underrun portion thereof, said plate and jaw members having registering holes below the upper edge ci the latter, a bolt` means extending through said registering holes to clamp said jaw members on Said plate and on said trolley wire sections, aligned switch blade receiving means on one of each pair of coacting jaw members, and switch means for electrically connecting the blade receiving means on each of the jaw members along one side of said plate.

2. The structure of claim l characterized in that said bolt means are threaded at both ends, a head on each bolt intermediate the threaded ends, a recess adjacent each hole in said plate and complementary to said heads, and nut mem- 5 bers for said bolt ends to clamp the jaw members carrying the switch blade receiving means to said plate independently of the other jaw members of each pair and to clamp the trolley Wire sections.

References Cited in the file 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number 6 Name Date Williams June 1, 1880 Steinberger Oct. 15, 1907 Mead Feb. 8, 1910 Wahlberg Apr. 10, 1923 Ritchie et al June 12, 1934 Lewis Dec. 27, 1949 Conrad Jan. 24, 1950 Genter May 6, 1952 

